USPTO Patents Application 10664446

DO NOT ENTER: U.D.i (11/21/2011)

IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

APPLICANT(S):

Takatomo Nishino

ATTY. DOCKET NO. 09792909-5672

SERIAL NO.

10/664,446

GROUP ART UNIT: 1745

FILING DATE:

September 18,2003

EXAMINER: Tracy Mae Dove

INVENTION: "ANODE MATERIAL AND BATTERY USING SAME"

Commissioner of Patents

P.O. Box 1450

Alexandria, VA 22313-1450

SIR:

This Amendment "F" is filed in response to the Final Office Action of August 18, 201 1.
Please reconsider the application in view of the amendment and remarks presented below.

AMENDMENT "F"

IN THE C LAIMS

This listing of claims replaces all prior listings.

1. (Currently Amended) An anode material, comprising:

a composite material including a base material physically bonded by Van [[van]] der
Waals forces to a carbonaceous material,
wherein,

the base material includes tin (Sn) and at least cobalt (Co) and or iron (Fo) ,

a mass ratio of the carbonaceous material to the base material is in a range from

and including 0.1 to and including 8.0 for the carbonaceous material relative to 100 for

the base material , and

the physical bonding of the base material to the carbonaceous material effected by

applying a compressive force and a shearing force to at least a part of a surface of a base

material when the composite material is formed.

2. (Previously Presented) An anode material according to claim 1, wherein the base
material further includes at least one kind selected from the group consisting of scandium (Sc),
titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn),nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc
(Zn), boron (B), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In) and silver (Ag).

3. (Original) An anode material according to claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous
material is acetylene black.

4. (Original) An anode material according to claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous
material is artificial graphite.

5. (Original) An anode material according to claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous
material is carbon fiber.

6. (Cancelled)

-2-

7. (Currently Amended) A battery, comprising:
a cathode;

an anode; and
an electrolyte,
wherein,

the anode comprises a composite material including a base material
physically bonded by Van_[[van]] der Waals forces to a carbonaceous material,
the base material including tin (Sn) and at least cobalt (Co) and or iron

a mass ratio of the carbonaceous material to the base material is within a
range from and including 0.1 to and including 8.0 for the carbonaceous material
relative to 100 for the base material , and

the physical bonding of the base material to the carbonaceous material
effected by applying a compressive force and a shearing force to at least a part of
a surface of a base material when the composite material is formed.

8. (Previously Presented) A battery according to claim 7, wherein the base material
further includes at least one kind selected from the group consisting of scandium (Sc), titanium
(Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), boron
(B), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In) and silver (Ag).

9. (Original) A battery according to claim 7, wherein the carbonaceous material is
acetylene black.

10. (Original) A battery according to claim 7, wherein the carbonaceous material is
artificial graphite.

1 1 . (Original) A battery according to claim 7, wherein the carbonaceous material is
carbon fiber.

12. (Cancelled)

REMARKS

Claims 1-5 and 7-11 are pending and under consideration in the above -identified
application. Claims 6 and 12 were previously cancelled and remain cancelled.

In the Final Office Action of August 18, 201 1, claims 1-5 and 7-11 were rejected. With
this amendment, claims 1, 2, 7 and 8 are amended. No new matter has been added as a result of
the amendment.

Applicant is in the process of obtaining signatures for a corrected declaration and will
submit the declaration to the U.S.P.T.O. as soon as possible.

I. 35 U.S.C. §112

Claims 1-5 and 7-11 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 1 12, second paragraph.

With this amendment, claims 1 and 7 are amended taking into consideration the
Examiner's comments. Accordingly, the Applicant respectfully requests the withdrawal of this
rejection.

II. 35 U.S.C. $ 102 Anticipation Rejection of Claims/35 U.S.C. $ 103
Obviousness Rejections of the Claims

Claims 1-5 and 7-11 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)/l 03(a) as being anticipated
by, and alternatively, unpatentable over Kawakami et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,432,585)
("Kawakami"). Applicant respectfully traverses the rejections.

Independent claims 1 and 7 each require a composite material which includes a base
material and a carbonaceous material. Additionally, the independent claims require a specific
relationship between the base material and the carbonaceous material, namely that the mass ratio
of the carbonaceous material to the base materials is from and including 0.1 to and including 8.0
for the carbonaceous material relative to 100 for the base material. The mass ratio relationship
required by the claims improves the capacity and cycle characteristics of the battery.
Specification, page 8 & Table 1 .

Kawakami does not teach or even fairly suggest the mass ratio relationship required by
the claims. Rather, Kawakami discloses individual weight percentages of a host material and an
electrically conductive auxiliary material. More specifically, Kawakami requires that the host
matrix material is 35 wt % or more and that the conductive auxiliary material is 1 and 30 wt%.
See, U.S. Pat. No. 6,432,585, Col. 12, 1. 46-Col. 13, 1. 14. As such, Kawakami only discloses
individual wt% requirements for the host material and conductive material and does not teach or
even fairly suggest a relationship between the components as required by the claims, i.e. a ratio

-4-

of the carbonaceous material in the electrically conductive auxiliary layer to the host matrix
material.

Furthermore, Kawakami doe not teach or even fairly suggest a composite material that
includes tin (Sn) and at least cobalt (Co) as required by claims 1 and 7. Therefore, because
Kawakami fails to disclose or even fairly suggest every feature of claims 1 and 7, the rejection of
claims 1 and 7 cannot stand. Additionally, dependent claims 2-5 and 8-11 are allowable for at
least the same reasons.

Conclusion

It is respectfully submitted that a full and complete response has been made to the
outstanding Office Action and, as such, there being no other objections or rejections, this
application is in condition for allowance, and a notice to this effect is earnestly solicited.

If any further fees are required in connection with the filing of this amendment, please
charge the same to our Deposit Account No. 1 9-3 1 40.

Respectfully submitted,

Date: November 18. 2011 By: /Anne K.W. Sutton /

Anne K.W. Sutton, Reg. No. 59,592
SNR Denton US LLP
P.O. Box 061080

Wacker Drive Station - Willis Tower
Chicago, Illinois 60606-1080
Phone: (312) 876-8000
ATTORNEYS FOR APPLICANT

-5 -